Dennis Rodman is going to Russia to try and free Brittney Griner after she was sentenced to 9 years in prison.
“I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl,” Rodman told NBC News. “I’m trying to go this week.”
But a White House source told the outlet Rodman’s efforts will not help.
“It’s public information that the administration has made a significant offer to the Russians and anything other than negotiating further through the established channel is likely to complicate and hinder release efforts,” the official said.
Griner is a professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), who is currently imprisoned in Russia. She was caught attempting to smuggle a small amount of Marijuana into the country in February. Russia has among the harshest penalties in the world for marijuana possession. Griner is one of 11 women to receive an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA championship, a FIBA World Cup gold medal and a WNBA championship.
